Revolution Rising: Liberation War Book 3 (Legacy War) by John Walker

Author:John Walker [Walker, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-03-09T22:00:00+00:00

***

Rialla sat in a box seat of the royal arena, staring down at the action taking place below her. Two men faced off with bladed weapons, one an axe while the other held a sword. They carried energy shields in their left hands, barriers capable of taking several blows before they shut off.

The arena had been used for generations for a variety of purposes. Some people brought grievances to promoters, offering to conduct a public duel to settle their problems. Others needed money and volunteered to fight against other combatants for the promise of a decent payoff.

Many nobles attended the fights depending on the stakes and how bloody they would be. Rialla made it a point of visiting no matter how violent it promised to be. She’d seen men die there several times. The first times bothered her. After that, it became much easier, no more difficult than waving off a servant who was no longer needed.

Though I have to admit, the cleaner the kill, the better I feel about it. Rialla didn’t mind gore but when someone was cut to pieces, it lacked any real elegance. Those who fought should have the decency to finish their prey with some level of decorum, some appreciation for their opponent. Not for honor, but for reciprocity.

After all, how many people wanted to have their arm removed before a coup de grace was performed?

These men fought to the death over infidelity. An artisan, a man who worked in the city as a sculptor caught a young Earl buggering his wife. They had an altercation which resulted in them both being arrested. While in jail, they agreed to settle the conflict through a fight to the death. A promotor happened to be nearby and paid their fines.

He’d easily make back that investment. People swarmed to the area to witness something they rarely got to see. Death happened accidentally all the time but when the intention was to see only one person leave the arena, then that brought the crowds. If Rialla didn’t own her box seat, she may not have been able to get a ticket to see it in person.

Broadcast rights extended to the entire planet, the colonies in the system and all the space stations. People paid a reduced rate but Rialla heard they already broke a few records. It turned out people didn’t even care if the fighters were important as long as they were intending to kill one another.

This says a great deal about our culture that we simply want violence. It doesn’t matter who conducts it.

Kathan, the sculptor carried the sword. He kept his center of gravity low, wielding his weapon like a true artist. The betting brochure stated he had been in the military and learned to fight by the infantry masters. This improved his odds of victory considerably. He wasn’t as familiar with shield fighting but that might not have mattered.

Earl Danz studied with a royal instructor from a young age. His choice of axe threw people though.

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